Roll up for the fast show

The Silverstone Classic is the largest historic racing event of its type and this year’s extravaganza could be the best yet

The dark days of winter are over and across the country owners of historic race cars are pulling off the dust sheets, unplugging the trickle chargers and preparing for the festival season. This year most of them will be heading to the Silverstone Classic, which takes place in July and is set to host a record number of historic competition car clubs over the course of three days of festivities.

The circuit hosted a preview event last month, giving a taste of what visitors can expect to see. It attracted 130 cars, from Austin A35s and Formula Fords to GT racers and 1950s Ferrari GP cars. 

The Silverstone Classic claims to be the largest event of its kind in the world and will have representatives from all of Europe’s leading historic championships for Formula 1, junior single-seaters, GTs, touring and sports car racers. The weekend will feature an impressive 23 races in total – many of them boasting more than 50 entries.

In an effort to evolve into a family-friendly event, the Classic also offers fun for all the family with music concerts after dark and the now obligatory celebrity races. Those already announced include Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams, former England cricket captain
Mike Gatting and Dragon’s Den star
Theo Paphitis. 

Adult admission prices start at £35; the cost of the three-day weekend ticket is £99. More details, plus camping and hospitality information, can be found at silverstoneclassic.com.